Scarfy96 wrote:I have lifted it a bit now but think my seat post may not be quite long enough to get the correct height as it is now basically at the highest I can take it. Bugger!

Yeah, mine's at the minimum insertion mark too, but I've got short legs so it's not terribly low.

I have been looking around the house for an option for a side start

My learning stage was done by holding the side pillar of the roller door of my shed, then leaning forward and pedalling off into free space on the driveway apron.

As I got better at that, I had to learn to turn off the apron onto the driveway proper, and ride up to the gate. Then I lent on the garbage bin to mount, and headed back down the driveway, around the corner and into the shed.

My turns aren't yet good enough to U-turn on the shed driveway apron and head back up to the gate... but I was working on it last time I put in a practice sesh.

I don't think I am quite ready for the free start yet but would be interested in hearing the tips if you are willing to share.

Garbage bin is a good idea. My driveway is really short so if I start at the pillar on the shed I am literally half way to the road (and a steep hill!).

I tried today holding myself with a hand back on the bench (not right behind me, more at a 45 degree angle behind me - so starting on an angle in the shed then straightening) but not pushing off, just pedaling away from a stationary vertical start and that didn't go too badly.

Scarfy96 wrote:I have been looking around the house for an option for a side start and I think I have one down the back that will let me do the length of the house with a wall on one side. It isn't perfectly smooth like the garage but it is cement (with a pattern through it) and is flat so I think that is the next progression.

Just be sure that you use the side support evenly between left and right. If you ride out on it, then ride back so it is on the other side.

Scarfy96 wrote:I don't think I am quite ready for the free start yet but would be interested in hearing the tips if you are willing to share.

I am unsure what you mean by "free start". Are you referring to a freemount (which is mounting it without a wall or pole or any support).

Scarfy96 wrote:Yes free mount. Clearly I need to learn the terminology as well as how to ride!

In an earlier post you said you had some tips to make that easier.

OK, clear.

First, you need to practice the precursor to this. How? Well, by mounting with a wall next to you actually.

Off a mounting support to your dominat side (such as a wall) you set the unicycle a little in front of yourself with the pedal on your dominant TOWARDS you. If you look at tutorial videos how much towards you will vary but don't be confused about that. If it is a 20" wheel you will need it towards 9 o'clock, on a 24" at something like 7 or 7:30.

Anyway, set yourself up like this with the seat of the uni parked under you crotch with you standing behind the uni.

Now, the moment of truth - and with the support of the wall, put the weight of your dominant foot onto the pedal. The unicycle will then ride BACKWARDS towards you and hoist yo onto it in the process.

So, to state it clearly, you have not climbed onto the unicycle. You have not jumped onto it. You have not even ridden it. You have simply DRIVEN the seat of the unicycle under you and you have been lifted so that you are atop it, balancing courtesy of the wall. Now you can lean forward a little and ride forward and leave the wall behind. You should drop that pushing-off-from-the-rear thing from now on and only mount that way until you move to the actual freemount.

After a few days when you are really comfortable with this, you work on a freemount. It is no point progressing further until this is easy. It won't take long, probably in a single session.

My following post will detail the next step. In that post I will try and put suitable video which will also clarify what I have posted here.

Before I start be aware that, for convenience, I will be referring to the position of the pedal at 8 o'clock. But as I indicated in the previous post there is variation in the exact positioning.

===============================================

There are a small number of variations on the freemounts. Some you mount and start forward in one movment, some you step on, reverse and pause before heading forward and some you use the hand to steady the wheel. They all have their place but the basic one you can start with is what I will indicate here.

With this mount you will basically drive the wheel backwards, lifting yourself atop the uni in the process.

However, you will then have a wheel moving backwards while you are leaning a little forward of the unicycle and therefore falling forwards. (Indeed, on a vide it will appear as though you are deliberately reversing it.) At that point the dominant pedal will no longer be behind the axle, it will be in front, maybe at 5 o'clock, maybe at 4. You press this down to change the movement of the wheel to forward.

If you get the timing right, your lean right and the speed right then you will be riding forwards. But that is a lot of things to get right all at once.

===============================================A CLEVER TRICK TO HELP

You will almost certainly find that sometimes the wheel goes so far back that you cannot move it forward and under you soon enough and it scoots out the back. But if you reduce the distance to compensate then sometimes you will then not be far enough forward and so as you pedal the uni will leave yo behind and you will come off the back. It can be REALLY tricky getting that distance and timing just right.

So, what is the clever trick?

Get a block of wood, say, 4" x 2", about 20cm long (or a paving brick).

Place that block behind the uni at about the distance that you need the wheel to change from a rearward motion to forward. (Experiment.)

Now try the mount but WITHOUT trying to ensure that you do not go to far rearwards. The block will do that for you.

And start practicing. When you do not get it right you will still do a successful mount. As you keep working on it, you can shift the blocj just a tiny bit farther back than it need be. You will be good enough to still make the mount even when you do go a bit to far back.

Freemounting can be achieved in a single session btw. Rider dependent.

(NOTE: Some suggest using a curb instead of a block for this trick. Don't as you will be then mounting from an inapporpriate height.)

Freemounting will also help you develop your rear dismount (forward dismount is for UPDs and beginners only). And both rear dismounting and freemounting will help you to develop idling skills and the ability to control speed right down slow when riding among pedestrians as well as riding in reverse whenever you feel up to it.

And for some reason known only to youtube this one popped up in the screen after the last video finished. Who am I to challenge the wisdomn of youtube, so, here it is: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJ2G2Wp8g-Q&feature=player_detailpage[/youtube]

Excellent, thanks for that. I don't think I am quite there yet but I have filed away to use in the (not too distant) future.

I have moved to putting a bin next to me in the shed and starting with that by my side. I agree I can get my weight better distributed easier with that and found I was riding out to the road really regularly (like 5-8m 3 out of 5 goes and 12-15m for about one of those). A couple of times I had to stop or ride onto the road (steep, not wise!).

So feel I have made a break through. Will keep going with this for a little while and then look at free mounting.

Went to the park yesterday with my daughter (too small to bump me) and tried starting on a hold bar on a cycle way. Unfortunately it was pavers and double right hand turn (left then right - at a road crossing so designed to slow cyclists down) so I couldn't really get a straight line to start. Had to start and turn within a few metres. The edge of the garden bed (about 40cm high cement) kept distracting me as I had to go close to that and overall other than a lot of laughs with passer bys it was a bit of a miserable failure. Need to find a better location or be able to free mount (or take a bigger person with me!).

adrian_d wrote:I was wondering if the tyres should be pumped up to correct tyre specifications or keep it a bit more flat for stability?

Hey, that's my uni!

Regarding tyre pressure... bear in mind that "rated" pressure is assuming your bodyweight will be supported by two of them. Loading all your weight onto a single tyre will squash it significantly more than it was intended.

I have found that higher pressure is easier to ride, because it doesn't bog down and wallow. There's nothing stable about a unicycle... if anything, a more "stable" tyre makes it harder to control the inherent instability of the machine.

The tyre that came on my Crane uni is rated pretty low (maybe only to about 50psi or so?). So I inflate mine rather beyond the rated pressure... if it fails, I'll replace it with something that has a higher rated pressure.

adrian_d wrote:I was wondering if the tyres should be pumped up to correct tyre specifications or keep it a bit more flat for stability?

Hey, that's my uni!

Regarding tyre pressure... bear in mind that "rated" pressure is assuming your bodyweight will be supported by two of them. Loading all your weight onto a single tyre will squash it significantly more than it was intended.

I have found that higher pressure is easier to ride, because it doesn't bog down and wallow. There's nothing stable about a unicycle... if anything, a more "stable" tyre makes it harder to control the inherent instability of the machine.

The tyre that came on my Crane uni is rated pretty low (maybe only to about 50psi or so?). So I inflate mine rather beyond the rated pressure... if it fails, I'll replace it with something that has a higher rated pressure.

tim

Oh cool as, you have the same one as me? Do you know what the original RRP was like on them?

I believe the tyre is quite low (if not flat) I could squeese it with my hand. I thought this might be how they are normally.

adrian_d wrote:Oh cool as, you have the same one as me? Do you know what the original RRP was like on them?

I've had mine a couple of years. I remember seeing them on sale in the Aldi catalogue for cheaper than I would expect (about $50?), and half-joking to my wife that I should get one. Her mum had been trying to think of a xmas present... and thus I came to own a unicycle

They look very similar to the cheap unis that can be found on Ebay under various brands... "Crane" is just the brand that Aldi put on their cheap generic Chinese sporting goods.

adrian_d wrote:Oh cool as, you have the same one as me? Do you know what the original RRP was like on them?

I've had mine a couple of years. I remember seeing them on sale in the Aldi catalogue for cheaper than I would expect (about $50?), and half-joking to my wife that I should get one. Her mum had been trying to think of a xmas present... and thus I came to own a unicycle

They look very similar to the cheap unis that can be found on Ebay under various brands... "Crane" is just the brand that Aldi put on their cheap generic Chinese sporting goods.

tim

Here I am thinking i've done well hahaha. I only paid $15 for it second hand so I suppose thats not too bad.

On tyre pressures it really does seem to be just a matter of personal preference.

I used to ride softish but have established after a long time that I most definitley prefer hard. Hard to me is 55psi on a 1.75" tyre. Every time I give it a boost with the pump I wonder why I didn't do it sooner. I don't know what barefoots weight is, but 50psi on a 1.75" tyre is plenty hard and will support a hello f a lot of weight, even on one tyre.

My experience bears out barefoots suggestion about stability on a harder tyre though. Soft and squidgy can make it difficult to control. If you do find yourself really REALLY struggling to maintain direction when you normally could, it can be that the tyre is overly flat. However I do know that many riders ride do let the tyres down a quite a lot when they do street stuff - down stairs, off walls, etc - so other riders more skillful than me may disagree.

Last edited by ColinOldnCranky on Mon Aug 20, 2012 6:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Scarfy - have a look around for some tennis courts with cyclone fencing. And ovals often have concrete-pad cricket nets so check out the local playing fields. You may be surprised where the convenient spot is.

Regardless, at the rate that you are going in a week or so I reckon you will not have to be very fussy - any flat surface.

I forgot about the paver/wood option but I found I could get onto the seat but I was then stuck in limbo. One pedal at the bottom, one at the top and no leverage to get moving = UPD. How do you get moving? I tried leaning forward - off the front, feet just couldn't get any movement, sort of stuck there. I only have about 1s before I lose balance to start moving and can't seem to get any motion going in that time.

I went back to next to the wall and I noticed then that I started the motion with some pressure from the hand on the wall to just get me started (like first 10cm) then I had pedal movement and was off.

At the moment it is mount, look like a statue waving its arms about, fall off.

I guess the paver may be able to stop the wheel going all the way back and thus give you the initial leverage, that doesn't solve the problem of one foot up, one foot down and no-where to go when you take the paver away however!

Perhaps if I set the 2nd pedal not flat so I come onto it at an angle - even at the top, not sure, any tips here would be appreciated!

I just went back and re-read what you said re the block of wood and went and tried that and bingo, away I went (well mounted and went a few m's). This stopped my pedals going to the top/bottom position.

So now I can start with them in about the 1o'clock and 7o'clock positions when I am on and get away, now as you said just practice from here, slowly moving the block back.

Only gave it 2-3 minutes and could already get a feel for it, will have more of a go in the next few days.

I just went back and re-read what you said re the block of wood and went and tried that and bingo, away I went (well mounted and went a few m's). This stopped my pedals going to the top/bottom position.

So now I can start with them in about the 1o'clock and 7o'clock positions when I am on and get away, now as you said just practice from here, slowly moving the block back.

Only gave it 2-3 minutes and could already get a feel for it, will have more of a go in the next few days.

Thanks.

I might be misreading what you are saying but here goes. I trust that you are NOT putting the block so far forward that the pedal only moves from 8'o'clock to 7 o'clock. I could construe that when reading the second post in context of the first. It HAS to go past 6 to around 5 or four or 3 o'clock. That way the same foot that put the unicycle back will then move it forward. (And then the rest that you have already taught yourself follows - pedal pedal pedal pedal...)

When you press down on the dominant pedal, reversing the unicycle to you and under you, the wheel needs to continue at least a little further so that the pedal has gone PAST 6 o'clock and is not forward of the axle. Continuing to press that dominant foot will then redirect the unicycle forward.

I expect that I am miscontruing your post and in that case well done. I think I did earlier indicate that it really is easier than it appears.

When you are riding and some observer thinks "He's cool", then you do a UPD and their admiration drops a little. But if you then do a freemount the observer thinks "Is THAT how it's done. C-o-o-l. REAL cool!"

LoveB wrote:i was about to pick one up recently. an australian built unicycle from the canberra bike museum... but didnt end up getting it. how much should I expect to pay for that one?

Around $60 plus delivery of the internet for a perfectly OK n--brand job. $170-$180 for a Torker which is a good value brand-name job.

Whatever you get, the following should apply:

Must have plastic guards on the seat (most do but not always

Should have a square crown on the forks - bent round ones do not allow yo u to do a lot of tricks and skills later if you ever progress to that sort of stuff

The seat post should be as long as you need or longer (you can always cut it down but to replace a short one will cost you amybe $30 more

20" or 24" - larger makes it more difficult to learn

A proper quick-release, not those stupid bent metal threads that hand loose - the quick release by the way will bet way more punishment on a uni than on a regular bike. It has to be set a LOT tighter and you will have to use it every time a mate asks to have a go.

You can pay more than you need and still not get these. You can get a cheapie and have it all. TBA a year or so ago had some really ordinary ones at $220 - poor seat, lousy quick release for the seat post and rounded crown.

He was asking 40$ for it. I think he still might have it. Forgot the brand but it's an australian built one that was kept in the cycle museum. Didnt get it cause I was afraid the size would be wrong for me

LoveB wrote:He was asking 40$ for it. I think he still might have it. Forgot the brand but it's an australian built one that was kept in the cycle museum. Didnt get it cause I was afraid the size would be wrong for me

When going second hand then you take what is offered - as long as you are aware of what you can get for a low price. I would be willing to consider a uni at $40 with no extra costs even some of my boxes are not ticked. But you MUST have ticks for guards on seat (your unprotected seat will not last the first week as a beginner), an adequate length seat post and be a 20" or 24" if learning on it.

Quick release and shape of crown are not deal breakers, the rest are.

If it meets those essentials and you are happy with the general condition...

Be sure to tighten the seat with the quick release and then ensure that you cannot twist the seat around it with your hand - and apply maximum effort to test this. It's not just about keeping the seat from slipping down as it is with a bike. Unicyclists apply heaps of torsional force to the seat. Beginners even more so.

Well the good news is that riding a unicycle seems to be like riding a bike - you don't forget!

For a range of reasons I haven't been on my unicycle for about 2 weeks and this morning had the opportunity to grab a few minutes on it and I was concerned I may have regressed from "deadset beginner" back to "N.F.I."

But no, I could still go about 10-12m to the end of the drive way no problems and felt about where I was at a couple of weeks ago. Hopefully will get a bit more time on it in the next few weeks again and can start to progress again

Scarfy96 wrote:Well the good news is that riding a unicycle seems to be like riding a bike - you don't forget!

For a range of reasons I haven't been on my unicycle for about 2 weeks and this morning had the opportunity to grab a few minutes on it and I was concerned I may have regressed from "deadset beginner" back to "N.F.I."

But no, I could still go about 10-12m to the end of the drive way no problems and felt about where I was at a couple of weeks ago. Hopefully will get a bit more time on it in the next few weeks again and can start to progress again

You got there long ago, long past the point where you start from scratch.

I surprised myself on the weekend in much the same way. I last rode my giraffe (tall chained unicycle likeyou see in street performers) in October 2010 when my shoulder boens parted company with my tendons.

I had been doing a little light weights in preparation to getting back on as you can't really do a freemount on those if youare held up due to stregth issues. After which I wold then relearn to the extent necessary in order to be able to do a reliable free-mount.

Well, by chance a riding partner bought out his giraffe on Sunday and after explaiining to the newbs how the mount works on one, I gave try. I NEVER expected to actually do it. Up in one go. repeated a few minutes later with the same. Then a few misses and successes. After 23 months I really did think that there would be at least a little problem getting back to where I left off. But, like you found, it was still there just waiting.

So, now you do the same with some skills work now on top of simple riding and steering. Do them often enough so that if you have to leave it for a while, you come back to it easily.

I suggest that you find a neball or tennis or basketball court and try and follow the court markings so that you get good at turning including some sharply, expecially from an almost stationary speed. And also work on freemounts. Do some every time you get out and drill those into your muscle memory too.

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